Last-minute goal gives men's hockey 3-3 tie with Cortland

The men’s hockey team closed out the 2014 portion of its schedule with a 3-3 non-conference tie against SUNY Cortland on Friday night at Hamilton College's Russell Sage Rink. 

Box score

The Continentals (3-3-2 overall) rallied to even the score three times, notching the tying goal with just 40 seconds left in the third period. The tie was the first in the series, which Hamilton leads 24-6-1.

Pat Curtis ’15 closed out the scoring for Hamilton, picking up his third goal of the season off assists from Robbie Murden ’17 and Nick Vassos ‘15. Curtis scored the tying goal with Hamilton about to send an extra attacker on the ice. The Continentals recorded their first tie in Sage Rink since a 1-1 deadlock against nationally ranked No. 9 Williams College on Dec. 6, 2013.

Hamilton’s Tim Nowacki ’18 made four of his 27 saves in overtime to preserve the tie. Nowacki, who was making his first collegiate appearance, is the fourth Continental to start in goal this winter. 

David Barmish ’18 nearly won the game twice for Hamilton midway through overtime. His slap shot from the right circle deflected off a teammate just before reaching the net. Seconds later, another slap shot was saved by Cortland’s Drew Weigman ‘18 and the rebound squirted to the skates of a pair of Continentals but the Red Dragons were able to clear the puck.

The teams combined to score four third-period goals, including one for each team in a 63-second span leading up to Curtis’ goal. The Red Dragons took a 2-1 lead 5:03 into the period when Nick Zappia ’15 scored on a breakaway. Ryan Wagner ’16 set up Zappia’s goal, which was his Division III-best 13th of the year.

Kenny Matheson ’16 tied the game with 6:15 to go in the period, taking a pass from Murden and sending a one-timer past Weigman for his fifth goal of the year. Murden and Matheson have collected a point in six straight games.

Cortland took its third one-goal lead of the night 1:03 later when Michael Markowitz ’16 notched a power-play goal, dribbling the puck through Nowacki’s pads.

The Red Dragons scored the only goal of the opening period. Tommy Nolan, who assisted on Markowitz’ third-period goal, put in a rebound of a shot by Markowitz at 7:38. Zappia also assisted on the power-play goal.

A Hamilton power play provided the only goal of the second period. Marko Brelih ’16 scored on a long shot for his third goal of the year and Curtis and Matheson were credited with the assists. Tyler Bruneteau '18 had nearly tied the game in the opening minute of the second period on a breakaway but Weigman, who finished with 26 saves, made a skate save at the right post.

Hamilton is idle until the Continentals travel to UMass Boston for the Codfish Bowl Tournament on Sunday and Monday, Jan. 4 and 5. Hamilton takes on Lake Forest College in Sunday’s first round and will face either Connecticut College or the host Beacons on Monday. The Red Dragons are off until a Jan. 8 game at Worcester State.